Managing a Creative Life in a Chaotic World

Stop and Ask the Important Question

In almost any creative project we get derailed along the way. I know I do. The result is often a mini-internal fit, and okay, sometimes there’s a bit of overflow that falls onto immediate family members. The cure for any “woe is me” episode is usually a stolen moment of clarity when I realize the derailment is probably a blessing in disguise. It gave me a chance to clear my mind a bit and reassess my project.

Sometimes I think we get into such a pattern of forward momentum that we forget to stop and figure out exactly what is the destination. I know I do. In all the hustle and bustle of creating, things get missed, the small but special things, like the fact the end goal has changed when I wasn’t paying attention. I can be so focused on my original vision for something, that I forget to ask whether that goal is still worthwhile when I’m a bit further along. Learning to let go of goals for better ones can be difficult, but very rewarding. Take the book I am currently working on. I have been revising and manipulating the manuscript for over two years now. Suddenly last week, thanks to some brilliant insight from friends and editors, I discovered what the problem had been all along. In hind sight I can’t imagine how I had missed the obvious for so long. But now I realize I had just never stopped long enough to ask the right questions. So now I know that breaks can be a good thing–if we use them .

Note to self: Stop for a moment and ask if I know where I’m going and is that where I really should be heading.